Sedimentation apparatus



Nov. 19, 1935. HHARDINGE 2,021,304

SEDIMENTATION APPARATUS I Filed Jan. 4, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HARLOWE HAR DlNGE ATTORNEY 5 Sineets-Sheet. 2

ATITORNEY INVENTOR H. HARDINGE Nov.

SEDIMENTATION APPARATUS Filed Jan. 4, 1933 HARLOWE HARDIN GE Nov. 19, 1935. H. HARDINGE SEDIHENTATION APPARATUS Filed Jan. 4, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENI'OR HARLOWE HARDINGE I BY W 52W m mm 5 #7., I mm mm :3

m mi H. HARDINGE Nov. 19, 1935.

SEDIMENTATION APPARATUS File d Jan. 4, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 v Nov. 19,1935. H. HARDINGE SEDIMENTATION APPARATUS Filed Jan. 4, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR HARLOWE HARDI NGE ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEDIMIENTATION APPARATUS poration of New York Application .Fanuary 4, 1933, Serial No. 650,065

1 Claim.

This invention relates to sedimentation apuaratus of the type of thickeners or clarifiers in which solids suspended in liquids are settled to the bottom of the apparatus by sedimentation,

wherein the settled solids in the form of sludge are raked to a central sludge discharge. The rakes depend from more or less radially extending rake arms which are propelled from a rotatable vertical support. More particularly the it invention relates to the arrangement of the .ver-

tical rotatable support mechanism and the means .ior rotating said support.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved sedimentation apparatus in which the it sludge discharge rakes are arranged in a manner which avoids the necessity of any overhead supporting truss or bridge which has been considered necessary heretofore in apparatus of this type.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sedimentation apparatus in which the rakes and the driving mechanism therefor are supported on an upright pier centrally disposed in the sedimentation tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for delivering the feed into the sedimentation tank, so that the incoming feed is stilled and then distributed uniformly around the central pier.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sedimentation apparatus of the character mentioned, which is simple in construction, and reliable and. exact in function under all conditions of service.

The invention also comprises certain new and useful improvements in the construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of which it is composed, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is a plan of a sedimentation apparatus constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken opproximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

65 Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the upper portion of the central pier and the parts carried thereby;

Fig. 4 is a plan of the structure shown in Fig. 3; and

m Fig. 5 is a view partly in section of the driving mechanism, as seen at right angles to Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings and especially to Figs. 1 and 2, the improved sedimentation apparatus may comprise a tank ii for holding the g5 liquid from which solids in suspension are to be removed. The tank It is shown as being circular in form and constructed from concrete or other cementitious material, however, it will be understood that the tank may be constructed from any other suitable material and have any 5 other configuration when so desired.

The tank M has a side wall- H which is formed with an overflow trough i3, and an inclined bottom M which slopes downwardly toward the center of the tank. An upstanding column or pier 1o 05 is located in the center of the tank.

When the tank 6 l is formed of concrete or other cementitious material the side wall l2, trough it, bottom it, and pier it may be integrally constructed as shown in Fig. 2. 15

A weir it is disposed around the inner edge of the trough i3, and the liquid is adapted to flow over this weir into the trough in a well known manner.

An effluent pipe ii! is connected to the trough 20 it for the purpose of carrying ofi the liquid from. said trough.

Solids settling to the bottom it by sedimentation take the form of sludge which is raked or impelled toward a bottom sludge discharge hop- 25 per it from which the sludge is removed through a discharge pipe it.

For the purpose of raking or impelling the sludge on the bottom It toward the hopper it,

I prefer to use a plurality of rakes or plows 2d 30 which are supported or depend from rake arms 2i.

In the present instance the apparatus is shown as having two diametrically disposed rake arms 26 which extend more or less radially from a 35 central vertical rotatable support or drum 22 which surrounds the pier i5 and is spaced a suitable distance therefrom.

The drum 2?, and consequently the rakes 2t carried thereby, are adapted to be slowly rotated, and accordingly one of the novel features of the present invention is the manner of supporting the drum 22 and the manner of mounting the mechanisms for operating said drum.

Mounted on top of the pier i5 is a skeleton casting 23 which constitutes a platform or framework which. forms substantially an extension of the pier it. The casting comprises a main annular body portion, indicated by the numeral 23 in Figure 3, and surrounding the exterior of this main body portion and disposed above the bottom thereof, is a substantially horizontal flange 26, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. Beneath the flange 24; there is a second flange 25 which is used for securing the framework 23 on to the top of the pier |5, anchor bolts 26 carried by the pier being preferably used for this purpose.

Mounted in the upper portion of the drum 22 is a. turntable or flanged ring 21 which overlies the flange 24 of the framework 23.

Interposed between the flange 24 and the turntable 21, are anti-friction devices, such as ball bearings 28.

Fixed to the turntable 21 is a ring gear 23 which is in meshing relationship with a pinion 30 on the lower end of a vertical shaft 3| of a speed reducer 32 mounted on a bridge or walkway 33.

The bridge or walkway 33 extends from the periphery or wall I2 of the tank outwardly to the framework or platform 23, so as to provide means for enabling an operator to inspect the mechansim mounted on the pier 5. The operating mechanism is also mounted on the bridge or walkway 33.

The driving mechanism includes a stationary electric motor 34, the shaft 35 of which is operatively connected to a second speed reducer 36.

The speed reducer 36 is operatively connected to the speed reducer 32 heretofore referred to by a pulley or sprocket 31, belt or chain 38, and pulley or sprocket 39, the pulley or sprocket 39 being mounted on a shaft 40 of the speed reducer 32.

The speed reducer 36 may be of the herringbone gear type of speed reducer, and the speed reducer 32 may be a right angle planetary type of speed reducer. Since both of these forms of speed reducers can be readily obtained in the market, it is not deemed necessary to show the construction thereof in detail.

The feed may be brought in by a radial feed launder so that it is fed to the apparatus centrally thereof. I

In thepresent instance the incoming liquid is shown as being conveyed through an infiuent pipe 4| which is supported from the bridge or walkway 33 by rods 42.

The inner end of the pipe 4| terminates in an annular infiuent trough 43 of channel form, the trough 43 being closed at the top, bottom and outside, and open at the inside. The inner open portion of the trough 43 surrounds the drum 22, and since the trough is stationary while the drum 22 is rotatable, a slight clearance is left betweenthe inner edges of the trough and the exterior of the drum so as to permit free movement of the drum relatively to the trough.

Openings 44 are formed in the portion of the drum 22 which is enclosed by the infiuent trough 43, through which the liquid fiows into the drum from the influent pipe 4|.

Above and also below the openings 44, the wall of the drum 22 is formed with elongated slots 45 and 46, respectively.

Carried by the drum 22 and disposed near the bottom of the slots 46, is a bafile plate 41 which prevents the incoming liquid which enters the chamber between the drum 22 and the pier I5 from flowing downwardly towards the bottom of the tank I I.

Surrounding the trough 43 and depending from the bridge or walkway 33, is a relatively large cylindrical bafiie 48. The baffle 48 extends downwardly into the tank II to a point immediately above the rake arms 2 I. The bottom of the baflie 48 is open.

The liquid discharged from the pipe 4| into the trough 43, flows from said trough through the openings 44 to the chamber between the drum 22 charges into the tank through the open bottom of 5 the baffle 48, as shown by the arrows in Figures 2 and 3.

Since the feed being delivered by the pipe 4| has considerable velocity, by providing the series of bailles and also the serpentine course through 10v which the liquid is delivered into the tank, the liquid will be diffused in such a manner that it is stilled, and hence the force of the liquid passing out through the bottom of the bafile 48 will be reduced to such an extent that the quiet or still 16 liquid in the tank I I will not be agitated or disturbed by the incoming liquid feeding into the tank ll.

In operation, the liquid with its solids in suspension to be clarified or thickened by sedimenta- 20 tion is flowed into the sedimentation tank II in a continuous manner and the clarified liquid is flowed therefrom as eflluent in a continuous manner. Solids settling out of the liquid fall to the bottom of the tankll in the form of sludge and 26 are collected by the rakes 20 which are moved by means of the rake arms ,2l which are rotated by the central vertical element or drum 22. So much of the invention is customary.

The invention is embodied in the arrangement 30 wherein the platform or framework 23 on the central pier l5 serves a dual purpose of forming a support for the rotatable drum 22 equipped with sludge discharge rakes and the motor drive mechanism for revolving the drum.

Operation of the motor 34 through the speed reducers 36 and 32, shaft 3|, and pinion 30 causes the gear 29 to rotate and consequently the flanged ring or turntable 21 and the drum 22 fixed thereto are rotated. Rotation of the drum 22 with its 40 rake arms and rakes causes settled sludge to be conveyed to the sludge discharge l8, from which it is withdrawn through the pipe I3 in any approved manner.

From the foregoing it will be noted that I have 45 provided an improved sedimentation apparatus which is more sightly than the similar types of apparatus heretofore constructed for similar purposes. Furthermore, the improved manner of feeding the liquid to thetank and discharging the 50 sludge therefrom reduces the costs of construction considerably. Also, by utilizing the center pier as a supporting means for the sludge discharge mechanism etc., the use of any overhead supporting truss or bridge is avoided. It will thus 65 be seen that the invention provides a neat and compact arrangement of the essential parts of sedimentation apparatus, which is cheap to build, is attractive in appearance, and is practically fool-proof.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

Apparatus of the type described comprising a tank having a centrally disposed upstanding pier,

a rotatable drum surrounding said pier and spaced 65 therefrom to provide a chamber for receiving fresh liquid fed into the apparatus, a feed pipe extending from the periphery of the tank towards said pier, a stationary trough connected to the inner end of said feed pipe and encircling said 70 drum, means forming a communication between said trough and the interior of said drum through which the feed is delivered into the chamber between the drum and the pier, an enlarged stationary cylindrical bafile encircling said trough 7E.

and also the upper portion of said drum and said pier, said We being open only at the bottom thereof, means forming a communication from the interior of said drum to the chamber exteriorly or said drum defined by said heme, and a battle plate carried by said drum below said last named means for preventing liquid in the chamber between the drum and said pier, from flowing downwardly towards the bottom of the pier.

HARLOWE HARDINGE. 

